Demerits
by thewizardanthedragon
Summary: AU - Lucas is growing up and there are minor bumps on the road. ***Warning*** May contain the Corporal punishment of a minor (or discussion there of)
1. Chapter 1

After the bumpy start of Sam's placement in Miss Carmichael's class both boys settled into the school year with very little difficulty. Sam was finally being challenged as Miss Carmichael would give him more complicated projects when the day to day work was finished. Although she saw some similarities between the brothers they were definitely different children.

Sam's mouth often spoke before his brain processed the words. This got him into trouble from time to time but mostly with teachers that didn't know him well. Miss Carmichael had found a way of quickly reeling him back in. Sarcasm was Sam's way of responding when he was unsure of how else to deal with a situation. Many teacher's felt he was being rude, however Miss Carmichael recognized the tone for what it was, a way of Sam dealing with frustration.

At the end of every day Lucas would come by the classroom and pick up his younger sibling. Miss Carmichael would update Lucas if needed as she may a parent. It may not have been the most professional but it seemed to be working. She had overheard Lucas counseling Sam from time to time on how he should be behaving and what he should be doing to stay out of trouble. Lucas wasn't worried about the added responsibility as he felt that he could keep Sam from stepping out of line far enough that anyone else needed to be brought into resolve the problem.

This didn't mean that Sam was a perfect angel but it did mean that everything wasn't thrown all out of proportion. Lucas and Miss Carmichael in their own way understood, without a discussion, that keeping things calm would minimize the likelihood of a larger issue blowing up.

This didn't stop Sam of course but it meant that things were quiet at home and through the successes Sam's behavior seemed to be improving. He would still scream angrily when bumped or his things moved or touched but he was less likely to take a swing.

Lucas was also having success in his final year in middle school. Next year he would be heading off to high school. Lucas was popular in a geekish sort of way. He was class representative with the administration, he helped to calculate house points for the entire school and he worked hard on his classwork. He had finally grown out of his trouble maker reputation by either having changed the teacher's views or having those who saw him as such retiring.

For the past two years Lucas had been followed in the school yard and halls by a gaggle of girls. His good looks and sweet empathetic personality meant that he had a bit of a following. He was secretly but embarrassedly enjoying the attention. Lucas blushed at even the mention of a crush by any of his family members. Tim had been trying, even before Lucas was old enough to be involved with girls, to set up a path of communication that was open and unencumbered by social awkwardness. But he had very little success. Lucas would still stare off into the great beyond if Tim brought up any aspect of a relationship.

Tim spoke to Abby on numerous occasions about how else he could approach the situation to make Lucas more comfortable, but neither had any brilliant ideas. However one of the positive side effects of these impromptu conversations was that Sam was far more comfortable with these discussions and would even ask questions. When another of Tim and Abby's conversation about Lucas came up with no new ideas Tim left the conversation by stating "Well I know that at least one of the boys has the right information, Lucas can always go to Sam if he has any questions!" With a laugh Abby gently patted her husband on the cheek and continued with the evidence in front of her for the newest case.

Tim and Lucas had a breakthrough one afternoon as they drove to a classmate's birthday party. As Tim casually asked about the other attendees; Lucas offered information about the social awkwardness that would likely happen when choosing movie seating at the upcoming event. As Lucas fumbled through words trying to tell his father about who liked who and who was expecting to sit with whom, Tim tried to conceal the stupid grin that would portray how he was feeling but would probably shut Lucas down. But he was beyond happy that not only was Lucas sharing with him but he was having a conversation with his son that he would never have had with his own father. When Lucas couldn't come up with his own words to describe the problem he was able to use a shared reference to a geeky online comic strip that described the problem exactly.

After that conversation Lucas was ever so slightly more comfortable with everything including the gaggle that followed him around. It is this gained comfort that lead to Lucas to his current predicament.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas had been looking after his younger brother dropping him into the junior school playground before joining his friends with the middle schoolers. After the birthday party Lucas was just as likely to hang out with a couple of girls as he was to sit with Sean. It was on these mornings with the girls that Lucas was late to class, collecting several tardy slips throughout the second term.

It was actually Lucas' caring personality that had him being late. Natalie was the one who really caught Lucas' attention; however he didn't want to hurt anyone else's feelings. So although Lucas would help Natalie pack her books in her bag and close her locker behind them, he would also talk to Krista about their homework. These helpful moments meant that Lucas was often the last one walking into the classroom and sometimes without all of his own books.

Not being prepared for class earned Lucas a demerit or two as well. He really wasn't worried about all of that. You could collect 10 points over a term before anything happened and he was otherwise staying out of trouble. So he wasn't really paying attention as the number or points slowly rose.

Outside of school Lucas gained a larger group of friends and he and Sean attended several gatherings that Lucas insisted to both Abby and Tim were not 'parties'. They were 'gatherings' of friends. Neither Tim nor Abby could see the difference but allowed Lucas to call them whatever he wanted.

These gatherings happened on a monthly basis hosted by a new kid in school wanting to make some new friends. A few times Lucas had come home with stories of drama, but nothing unusual for a group of 12 to 14 year olds hanging out for a few hours. Tim was happy that Lucas was sharing these stories. Although he understood that things were easier to share when they are not directly related to yourself he was pleased and hoped that it would lead to more and more openness.

Abby had always been in contact with the parents of most of Lucas' families; when her son was little it was about knowing the parent she dropped her child off with for play dates but as he got older it was to keep in contact with his life away from home. By the end of January the first term was a third way through and Nikko hosted one of his gatherings again. Natalie's mother contacted Abby in hopes of carpooling across town so the preteens could attend the party. Abby drove the two kids there, and Natalie's mother would bring them home.

Abby drove from work early in time to get home in time to pick up Lucas and head out to Natalie's house. Abby sat in the driver's seat listening to the giggly kids in the back seat. She asked the young guest about her school work and extracurricular activities. The young lady answered the questions respectfully but didn't extend the conversation. Abby smirked looking in the rear view mirror at her young son's glowingly happy face. It was cute really. A young crush.

Abby returned to the lab to work. She spent the next few hours working on evidence having a short snack break with Tim in the lounge. Abby relayed the car ride and punched Tim playfully in the arm when he made a comment about interrogating the kids about their relationship. "I wouldn't really do that" he exclaimed rubbing his upper arm and leaning away.

Both parents returned to work. When Lucas arrived home Kayla had been dismissed and both parents were in their room reading. He poked his head into room saying "I'm home, night!" Tim yelled out the door to try and catch his quickly escaping son "How did the par..gathering go tonight?" A quiet "fine" was the only response. Abby and Tim looked at each other, smiled and then went back to their reading. Minutes later Abby's iPad dinged and a flash of a green bubble popped up in the corner of page she was reading. Not understanding who the message was from Abby slid the book off screen and opened the instant message. It took several seconds for her to realize the was Natalie and the messages were supposed to be going to Lucas. Electronic mishaps are always interesting but when you receive hearts and smiley faces from your son's friend. Abby was about to let Lucas know that he wasn't the only one getting the messages when the words started.

"Did she notice?"

"I don't know"

"You'll tell me if she says anything RIGHT?"

"Ya, I'll let you know if she says anything!"

Abby reads and re-reads the words several times before shouting out "Lucas come here Now!"

Lucas huffing down the hall pokes his head in looking at the floor "What?"

"What's this?" Abby asked without thought to tone or question.

Lucas' face fell and then he quickly stared at his own ipod in his hand. He couldn't even form words as Abby's face stayed questioning.

"I'll… ah… I …. need… to go.." turning and heading immediately back to his room.

Confused Tim took the tablet from his wife read the words himself and then laughed uncontrollably. Abby on the other hand was still shocked. "What does that mean?"

"It doesn't really mean anything" Tim answered. "He's 12 what could it mean?"

"Tim…Tim… Tim… have you no imagination?"

"I do but I refuse to use it for anything but good!" he said wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulder and kissing her cheek.

They sat reading for a short time before Abby threw her hands into her lap and sighed loudly. Not looking up from his own book Tim asked "What?"

"What did that mean?"

"Abby… just let it go… he isn't into anything terrible …" Tim answered although he too was wondering. Not because he was worried but because he just desperately wanted to know.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucas had been mortified about the interception of his private messages by his parents and although they were not at all at fault he was angry with them for intruding on his personal turf. For the next few days he was moody, surly and generally uncooperative. It was Natalie telling him to knock it off before he actually got into trouble as he explained the warnings he had received that morning. Since neither parent had spoken to him again then he should drop the attitude before he found himself in hot water and needing to explain them further.

The school bell rang and both kids walked to class together, Lucas feeling better for the first time since the weekend. As he sat down in his homeroom desk Mr. Carter gently slapped down a green slip on the desk in front of the boy. Growling to himself Lucas slumped back in his chair and shook his head. Yet another tardy slip, Lucas quickly did a calculation of previous infractions and was relieved to figure out he had not accumulated ten. By the end of the school day Lucas' calculations were confirmed with a slip from the office warning that he had reached 9 demerits and that once 10 had been collected he would be invited to an interview with the principal and punishment as per the student hand book would be handed out. Rolling his eyes Lucas scrunched up the pink warning slip and pitched into the trash can on the way out of last class. Natalie noticed his cranky demeanor and asked if he was back to brooding about the IM'ing. The two kids talked for some time and about nothing in particular but by the time they parted ways Lucas was smiling and Natalie laughing about his predicament.

Lucas apologized to Miss Carmichael as he retrieved Sam a bit later than usual and was given a big smile for forgiveness. The two boys walked home quietly. Sam noticed his brother's silence and put that together with his lateness he asked "Luc you alright?" "I'm fine" he smiled at his little brother. They walked on towards home, needing time offered "Sam, you want to stop at the park for a couple of minutes? It is a beautiful spring day don't you think?"

Sam not caring what kind of day it was happily agreed that time at the park would be great. Lucas hadn't agreed to let Sam play on the way home all winter due to the cold weather. Sam didn't care about the snow or cold but Lucas was the one that had to sit on the bench waiting. Sam ran ahead throwing his backpack beside the climbers. Lucas sat on the bench and quickly texted Kayla they would be late before IM'ing with many of his friends about the day's events. He spent a few minutes "chatting" online with everyone before sitting quietly contemplating his situation. When he finally gave Sam the warning it was time to go Sam whined and fussed that he wasn't ready to leave. Normally Lucas wanted to be the "cool" big brother in these situations but with his day he had no patience and he snapped at Sam to be quiet and not to whine or he wouldn't agree to stop again.

The boys stomped home angrily, each for their own reason. Kayla had learned years earlier that when cranky boys arrive home as quick snack helps. With Sam fed and given permission to watch television he was happy once again. Lucas moped at the table long enough that Kayla decided she ask a question or two to see if she could help. "You alright Luc?"

"Ya" he sighed obviously not alright.

"Doesn't sound like you're alright" Kayla stated hoping the preteen would keep talking.

"No, Really I'm fine. I have a load of homework I need to do." He finished quickly as he stormed off to his room dragging his bag up the stairs. The threat of the 10th demerit being his only driving force, Lucas had a hard time concentrating and realized he had to shake it all off it he was going to keep himself out of both the principal's office and the one downstairs.

Pulling out his computer he worked on his math class, calculating, combining and figuring were actually things he found calming and comforting. A trait he had gained from both his parents. After a few minutes with the numbers he was happy to receive a "Hey how are you?" IM from Natalie. She did seem to have very good timing. Luc would answer her questions and they chatted while both youngsters finished their homework. Having accomplished everything he needed to Lucas turned up the tunes and threw himself on his bed while he continued to talk with Natalie and Sean every now and then.

Kayla was happy to see a more relaxed Luc when she called the boys back to the table for supper; and didn't bother mentioning his surly and uncharacteristic behavior to Abby when she walked through the door an hour later.


	4. Chapter 4

The weather slowly got a little better each day. And Lucas was the picture of the perfect student. He had to sprint outright a few times and hope he didn't get caught running to get to class in good time but he was successful. Lucas quickly put all of his organizing and time management skills to make sure that all of his homework and projects were handed in on time. Abby noticed her son's increased studiousness. But quickly wrote it off that he was heading into the last months of eighth grade and would soon be in high school. The increase in Lucas' conscientiousness lined up with the high school tours and course selection. Abby decided to keep an eye on Luc just in case he started to display any behaviours that may suggest he was anxious. He had at times of transition got himself so worked up that he ended up ill.

As Lucas' conduct became exemplary Sam's took a nose dive. Throughout the year Sam had accumulated several demerits for forgetting homework, talking back, and hiding in the library when he should have been in gym class. But as each term changed, the slate was wiped clean and his demerit count was back to zero. This system worked very well for most children in that it gave them many chances to modify their behavior. However Sam was not every child, when there weren't direct consequences he didn't learn to change his ways.

By the time Lucas had racked up nine demerits, Sam was at five. Sam's demerits were accumulated through minor misdemeanors. Once again issues like being saucy with the lunch lady, not returning his books on time, being late in from recess. Nothing that was way out of line or so terrible that Miss Carmichael contacted either Tim or Abby, she would remind Sam each time he collected a new demerit about what was expected and the ultimate consequences if he received a full 10 points.

On a few occasions Miss Carmichael let Lucas know what had occurred. Not to put a load on the young teen's shoulder but wanted another person to speak to the little fellow about straightening himself out.

Spring brought out giddy and rowdy behavior in all sorts and it was no different for Sam. Although Sam was having a much better academic year he was still Sam. And keeping himself in line for 8 months with no 'extra-curricular activities' meant he was going stir crazy. After spring break Sam started collecting sticky tack. He would take a bit off of posters in the hallway, some off of postings in the classroom. He would add his new bits to the growing ball in his desk. It took about a week before he had enough to actually do something with it. When it was the classes turn in the library Sam headed to the encyclopedia section, as he did many times, but this time instead of reading he used his sticky tack to adhere all the covers and pages together. Well not all of them, he ran out of both time and sticky tack.

When Mrs. Coleman, the librarian, found the affected encyclopedia's she went through the roof. Like all librarians she was very attached to her books in her library. Sticky was designed to come off paper without damaging it, however Sam couldn't predict that the spring sunshine filtering through the large library windows would warm up the sticky substance enough for it to melt into each of the pages. Although Mrs. Coleman didn't know for sure that the culprit was little Sam, she was pretty sure. Miss Carmichael's class was the only one that had been visiting, and the encyclopedia aisle was rarely visited by anyone in the grade 1 / 2 class. Mrs. Coleman approached her teaching colleague with the evidence and angrily demanded that Sam come to the library for her to speak with him. Miss Carmichael had a soft spot for the misfit little guy and wasn't sure he would respond the librarian's anger appropriately so she offered to deal with the situation herself. Asking Sam to stay after school was easy as his brother was a few minutes late to pick up, once again. It only took a moment for her to get Sam to admit what he'd done. As she expected Sam didn't know the damage that his little prank would create. He was remorseful and seemed truly upset with the turnout. After a thorough tongue lashing Miss Carmichael handed out 2 demerits and detention every recess and lunch play time until the books were clean of all added detailing. Sam was picked up by Lucas with dry eyes but the tear streaks still visible along both cheeks.

Sam wouldn't tell Luc what had happened and was atypically quiet on the walk home. Luc played the 'good' big brother, ignoring the sadness and stopping at the park for a short time to play. Therefore by the time the boys got home both were happy and smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

Unlike Luc, Sam did not keep track of the rising number of misdemeanors he was committing and the number of demerits. To the almost 7 year old the episodes were over and he had little concept of a growing number of records of his misbehavior. Luc during the school year had been helping Sam keep track of his demerit points in hopes of keeping his little brother out of the principal's office. However with his own impending doom, or all efforts to keep it at bay, Luc completely stopped counting on Sam's behalf.

Handing in homework had never been a strong inclination for either Scuito-McGee child. Being bright and quick meant that things like homework seemed like an inconvenience that was designed to take time away from something that was actually worth doing. That being said, everyone in their lives disagreed with them and wouldn't even listen to complaints or attempts at getting out of doing the assignments. Luc had learned very early on in his academic career that he was to complete everything whether or not he agreed with the premise or needed to practice the theory. Sam having only been in 'proper' school for less than a year had not yet come to the same understanding that Lucas had. Therefore Sam handed in homework when it suited him, which was almost never.

Miss Carmichael had always taught the first or second grade and therefore had developed a slightly more lenient system for the handing in homework and assignments. It was her belief that these young children hadn't enough time to develop the skills to remember, complete and hand in homework. Therefore she didn't hand out a demerit point until a child had forgotten 3 times. This more tolerant system once again taught Sam the wrong lesson. It meant that points accumulated slowly and he saw little or no consequence for not doing the work assigned. Miss Carmichael counseled him each time he was remiss in submitting something however in Sam's case it went in one ear and out the other.

So as the spring weather grew even warmer and Sam was finally finished cleaning up the library books to Mrs. Coleman's satisfaction and was allowed to go out for recess the lingering tally of his misdeeds was forgotten completely.

There were very few weeks of classes left and the spring dance for year 7's and 8's was fast approaching both boys had accumulated 9 points. Lucas was finding it very hard to be so studious and conscientious for such a long time but he completely understood what was at stake and continued his righteous ways. Sam, on the other hand, was blissfully ignorant of the looming 10th point. He changed nothing about how he did his work, spoke to his teachers or acted in the school yard. He had received many warnings and was quick enough to pull himself in that he remained with 9 points right up until the night of the dance.

Lucas was relieved 'real' classes were over. Exams began in the middle of next week after 2 days slotted for review and questions for the teachers. That meant as he walked home Friday afternoon he felt he was free. No more need to be super vigilant, the dance was tonight and he was going to attend and have a great time. Sam had a backpack full of work to complete as he had been day dreaming on Luc's behalf all day. Miss Carmichael had noticed his distraction and decided that the little guy could get the work done over the weekend after all the excitement was over. She was unsure of why Sam cared so much but was happy to see him engaged in his brother's life.

Luc ate supper quickly and rushed off to shower and get dressed. Tim smiled as he watched his son run up the stairs to get ready. He himself at not been so confident at the same age and was so happy to see Lucas enjoying the social network at school. Abby and Tim were pleased to have Lucas have a night of fun and frivolity as a last hoorah of 8th grade, he'd been so focused lately he needed some down time. Lucas was going to Sean's house after the dance for the night and Tim would pick him up the following afternoon.

Sam as soon as he had been released from the dinner table ran to Luc's room and sat on his bed as his older brother got dressed for the evening. Bouncing on the end of the bed the smaller of the two boys asked questions incessantly.

"Who you gonna dance with? Why do you like dancing? Is Sean going to dance too?" These questions continued with no time in between for Luc to actually answer so instead he continued to preen himself while gazing into the mirror. Sam for his part was excited without knowing why. He wasn't going to the dance but he fed off the vibrations of anticipation in the air. It wasn't until he asked "Are you only gonna dance with Natalie?" that he finally got a response out of his sibling.

"Shut up, would ya, God you're bing annoying" Luc growled just as Tim walked into the room. Sam was shocked into silence and couldn't help looking back and forth between his father and brother.

"Pardon me?" Tim asked firmly.

"Sorry Dad" Luc quickly apologized as he didn't want anything to put a damper on his evening.

"I should think so, young man, that is not how a gentleman on his way to a grad dance behaves now is it?" Tim replied his eye brows raised in the 'listen carefully' manner.

"I am really sorry, I promise" Luc said turning away from his father enough that he couldn't be seen and glared menacingly at his younger brother. Sam often misinterpreted scenarios, but this one was pretty straight forward and he ran quickly from the room.

"I came to see if you're ready, if we have to pick up Sean on the way to the school we need to leave in about 5 minutes." Tim explained as he turned from the room, giving his son one last look that he hopefully portrayed his feelings of pride and acceptance rather than disappointment he had entered the room with.

"Let's go then" Luc said as he gathered a jacket from the back of his chair and headed towards the front door before Tim even turned around.

"Oh my little boy is so big … he's graduating from grade 8…he's going to be in highschool.. grad dance..I can't believe itcanyoubelieveitTimourlittlebabyisgoingtobeinhigh schoolandheisalmostfinisedgrade8andhesgoingtoadanc eandIjustcan'timagineandohmygoshhesgettingsobigand lookhowhandsomeheisand" Half way through Abby's tirade she had grabbed a hold of her eldest child and held him to her squishing him with all her might.

A muffled "Dad, save me, please" could be heard through Abby's wrapped arms and Tim suppressing a grin suggested "Abs I think he'll do better in high school if he's still breathing!"

"Oh yeah… yeah… of course" not releasing her grip until she had planted a dozen or more kisses on his still damp hair.

"Have fun tonight… more fun than your father would have but less then I would have…" Luc smiled as he exited the house and made his way to the car to wait for his dad to drive him to Sean's and then onto the school.


	6. Chapter 6

Tim parked the car and followed Sean and Lucas into the school through the front doors. He hadn't dropped Lucas off to an event in years but the grad dance was a little different and parents had to sign in and sign out their children. As the entered the main hall Krista and her wing man Tina fell upon the boys. Tina pointing out Krista's new dress, her makeup done by her elder sister, and how pretty she was, hoping to get a reaction out of Luc. Sean tried in vain to stand in between his buddy and the girls to no avail. Tim watched somewhat surprised at the intensity of Tina's display and Krista's strutting. But unfortunately Tim couldn't say anything because he was holding in gales of laughter. So instead of helping his son and his friend Tim filled out the form to allow Sean's father to take Luc home.

Waving quietly to the 2 boys, Tim backed out of the gym and headed to the car. He felt badly for leaving his child in the lurch, however he was sure that if he had said something it would have been more embarrassing to his son than helpful.

Abby, was not impressed when Tim relayed the drop off story. "How could you have left him like that?" she demanded. "What? I… I thought" Tim stammered. "You left him, to the wolves, with no support?" Abby scowled. "No…No…NO…I left him with Sean… who knows the girls better… and Sean had his six… I'm sure of it.." Tim tried to explain to his very upset wife. Abby stalked towards her carefully retreating partner. "Abs…I promise he was fine when I left him… he'll be fine" Tim's voice squeaking slightly as he continued to move towards the home office.

Meanwhile Sam was waiting in the living room with his game console remotes. "Tim! Tim! Can we play now?" he yelled when he saw both his parents retreating down the hallway. Seeing an out Tim quickly answered "Ya, Monkeyshine, I'm on my way" pointing over Abby's shoulder Tim whispered "I need to go to Sam now…I promised that we could play war worlds 2 all night…" Abby glared after her partner as he slipped past her sliding across the wall with his arms raised above his head keeping a close eye on her in case she pounced. When he was far enough away he turned to head towards the living room, and Abby punched him in the shoulder as she had in many other instances of disagreement. "Ow" Tim groused rubbing his arm as he continued into the living room.

XXXXXXXNCISXXXXXXXXX

Lucas and Sean were able to slide out from under Krista and Tina as soon as a few of the other guys from the class arrived. Seeing that Lucas was having trouble getting away the guys protected him. The problem was Lucas did want to dance with Natalie. He was sure she wanted to as well but he didn't have the courage to ask her and every time his crew of guy friends him alone Krista was stuck to his side. He didn't want to hurt Krista's feelings but he just wanted to be left alone. So instead of dancing the guys stood stereotypically along the west wall staring at the girls all dancing together in the middle of the gym floor.

Sean had gotten them both drinks, punch with fancy little umbrella's in it. Twirling the little umbrella in between his fingers Luc stood staring out into the dancing throng. Slightly frustrated and slightly bored Lucas had an idea of giving himself something to do. Taking Sean's umbrella and his own he tucked them into the string of lights that were hung along the wall to decorate the hall. It changed the hue of the light and so Luc walked past the refreshment table and snagged a bunch of umbrella's not yet used. Opening them up he, along with Sean's help, tucked each one on top of a light. Each little white light now emitted a shaded colour, giving the gym a darker ambiance. Lucas stood watching Natalie as she grooved to the music. Sean not as interested in the girls on the floor was watching the umbrella colours and noticed that a couple of them were sort of melting onto the lights. Elbowing Luc so he could get his friend's attention, Sean pointed to the first umbrella; a tiny plume of smoke was rising from the surface of the now attached umbrella. "Hey Luc, go get that off, quick" Sean said in a stage whisper. Smiling more mischievously then Sean had seen in quite some time. "Nah, let's see if we can get one of the teachers to use a fire extinguisher" Luc whispered back. Sean who generally was far more likely to pull a prank or cause a disturbance really was unsure of Luc's suggestion and decided that he would "knock" the umbrella loose, walking past the string of lights he 'bumped' into it knocking the small paper decorations to the floor. Luc was about to open his mouth to complain when he felt someone over his right shoulder and he turned to see who was standing there. From the corner of his eye he saw Principal Harper looming in his personal space. "I don't think arson is a great way to end your elementary school career, do you Mr. Scuito-McGee?" the principal whispered authoritatively in Lucas' ear so he was the only one to hear.

Swallowing hard Lucas tried to gulp a breath of air. But the room felt small, the air over heated and completely lacking in oxygen. He was frozen on the spot and unable to move, speak or breathe and was starting to feel light headed. Mr. Harper still standing dangerously close to Luc whispered again "Due to your otherwise good reputation young man, I will allow you to continue with the evening if you promise you will behave and come to my office first thing on Monday morning".

Nodding so deliberately and slowly that it was imperceptible to anyone but Mr. Harper Lucas agreed to the conditions he was given. His prolonged paralysis went unnoticed until Sean returned from his umbrella collection job. "Hey man, you ok?" Sean asked seeing his best friend stuck to the floor with a look of terror on his face. Misinterpreting what may have happened Sean asked "Did Natalie come by? Krista?" His face contorted in a helpful questioning look. "No" Luc breathed deeply for the first time in minutes, "No" that's not it… "Never mind I'm fine" Luc said pulling himself together enough to keep his friend in the dark about his predicament, at least until they got home.

Sean noticed his buddy was in a fog and tried to bring him around. Sean turned to his silliness and goofy behavior to bring Luc around. Instead Luc seemed to stiffen instead of loosen and was surprised when Luc stormed out of the gym when Sean began shaking all the soda cans in the ice filled buckets. Lucas stormed passed a gaggle of girls and Natalie noticed the look on his face. Their budding relationship was a secret to those their age at school; several of the staff had noticed their 'closeness'. Natalie politely excused herself.

Natalie found Lucas leaning against the wall in the small passageway that leads to backstage. It ran along the side of the gym and was generally regarded as off limits. Lucas' head was tipped back against the wall his arms hanging limply at his sides. She stopped smiling at how cute he looked even in his moment of despair. "You gotta problem" she asked with a smile

Despite his state of mind and feeling of panic Luc smiled; a goofy teenaged smitten smile. Natalie approached her friend and leaned against the wall next to him. Without looking down Natalie slowly moved her hand along the wall until she felt the sleeve of Luc's shirt and then followed it with her fingers gently enough that she hoped he didn't notice what she was doing. Natalie's fingers made it to flesh and quickly wrapped them around Luc's hand. The boy's head snapped up, looking towards his companions face. A stupid grin spread across both of their faces. Natalie still holding Luc's hand pivoted towards him placing a foot on their side of his two feet their knees touching, now facing each other. Their hands still linked Natalie leaned in, her second hand flat on the wall beside Luc's face.

Luc's heart was pounding. He couldn't stop grinning stupidly. He was in territory he had only been in once before and that had been so awkward that he was unsure of how to proceed. Not having time to make a decision Luc just let the situation play out. Natalie leaned in closer both kids' closed their eyes, their worlds slowed to a snail's pace.

"Uhrr Hum" someone cleared their throat, someone with a very deep voice. Jumping back from the wall Natalie stood staring at Luc not sure where to go or what to say. Lucas looked out sideways for the second time that evening. 'Jesus Christ' he breathed through clenched teeth. "Mr. Scuito-McGee I believe we had a deal that you would spend the rest of your time this evening following the rules" Mr. Harper asked.

"Yes sir" Luc replied still looking at Natalie rather than the man he was talking to. Shaking his head and pursing his lips he took a deep breath before turning towards the end of the hall, taking Natalie's hand and walking past Mr. Harper who turned to follow the two kids. There was only 30 minutes left before the end of the dance and so Mr. Harper kept Luc in his sights for the rest of the night, thinking he would speak to which ever parent picked him up. Luc, Natalie, Sean and a group from the class danced together as the night came to a close.

Kids continued to dance as parents arrived. Each signed out their child and in many cases their friends as well. Mr. Harper watched as Sean's father arrived and signed out both his own child and Lucas. Deciding that things could all be covered on Monday, he said nothing and but noticed the Scuito-McGee boy was eyeing him as followed his buddy out of the school.


	7. Chapter 7

Sean hadn't witnessed all that had occurred between Luc and the administration. So when the boys were finally alone in his room for the night he was surprised to see a distressed friend. "What's your problem?" Sean asked somewhat sarcastically.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out quickly Lucas spilled the story at break neck speed to his buddy. He gave details only, no need to cloud the description with emotion. And Sean knew Luc there was no need to explain.

Having dealt with Lucas and his worries and anxieties for years as well us having complete understanding of the situation, Sean was easily able to redirect Luc to other activities. He joked about the 'close encounter' with Natalie and moved quickly onto getting him interested in other pursuits. Turning on his computer Sean kicked off a battle royal and both kids got lost in the make believe world of online characters. They temporarily but it to rest when Sean's mother told them to shut it all down and go to bed; however as soon as she had shut the door the computer was booted back up and an they played until the birds started to sing and the sun slipped over the horizon.

With exhaustion aching in every molecule of his body, Lucas had no problems falling into a deep and blissful sleep. It was lunchtime when Sean's older brother barged into the room and threw himself across the room. His intention was to aggravate his younger sibling rather than the reason he'd been sent up. Patrick was supposed to be relaying the message that Lucas' ride was on their way to get him. Patrick was a rough and tumble teen and playfully dragged Sean and Lucas out of their beds. Sean not happy with his brother's wake up fought back and the two boys ended up in a full out wrestling match. Lucas quickly rolled himself still stuffed in his sleeping bag out of the way as the two bodies fell to the floor and almost landed on him.

With insufficient sleep and a not so gentle wake up Lucas was feeling pretty miserable and that was before he recalled the happenings of the evening before that would give him a reason for his misery. Ignoring the flailing mess of arms and legs beside him, Lucas freed himself from the room and spent a few minutes in the bathroom alone. Splashing water on his face he started to wake a little more so that his mind worked that much more clearly.

By the time Luc had extricated himself out of the washroom, Patrick had disappeared and Sean was nowhere upstairs. After packing up his gear the visitor carried it all down to the front door and then headed to the kitchen where he assumed he would find his friend. History had a way of repeating itself and so Lucas' assumptions were correct, Sean was grabbing bacon and toast off the counter smiling at his friend across the room. "Cheer up, you look so depressed, and really there isn't that much to be worried about… and really the more mopey you are the more likely someone is going to catch on before they need to or have to at all really!" Sean explained. Having been by Lucas' side for many years Sean understood his pal's family as much as his own. Sean smiled a wide grin optimistic that his suggestion would be taken to heart and Luc would cheer up.

Luc smiled understanding Sean's warning for what it was. When he thought about it with food in his stomach he realized that Monday morning was really what he had to worry about and hopefully he could sweet talk his way out of a phone call home being made. Everything else he could deal with, it wouldn't be the first time he'd been called up on the carpet and with only a week left at the school he was hoping to pull a bit of a con to get himself out of the predicament he had himself in. With his new interpretation of the situation Luc was relaxed by the time Abby walked through the door.

Having been in deep water in the past Luc knew that good behavior was remembered and often taken into account when push came to shove. So Saturday afternoon Luc spent playing with Sam letting his little brother pick the sport. The weather was beautiful and so they spent part of the afternoon in the back yard running about the fort.

After supper Luc had hoped to lay across his bed texting with Natalie and playing a video game or two, but Sam was whining that he wanted to sleep out in the fort. He wouldn't do it alone even if he was allowed. Tim was at work and Abby was writing up files for court so asked Luc if he would be so kind as to have a sleep out with his brother. When asked Luc threw his head back and was about to complain when reality hit him and he quickly changed his tune.

"Ya sure. I can stay out there with him, but could you help us get everything out there first?" his tone so sweet and sticky you could almost see the honey dripping from the words.

Abby, happier than either of the boys, got the fort set up with camping mats, sleeping bags and pillows. She told stories of how she and Luca had camped out in their back yard as kids, staying up late, telling ghost stories and eating treats. Luc only half listened as he got water bottles and juice boxes as well as a bag of popcorn for them to share. It wasn't until Abby asked "Do you understand?" that Lucas realized he had zoned out and was unsure of exactly what he was agreeing to but nodded verification anyway.

When he heard the screen door snap shut he asked Sam "What did I just understand?" Sam laughed and shrugged his shoulders "I have no idea". The brothers laughed at their situation. Luc tucked Sam in and then pulled out his ipod, thank goodness for a techie father; the wifi reached the back of the yard! Luc got to be the doting big brother figure his mother could be proud of as well as chat with his friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Monday morning came far too quickly. Lucas spent more of Sunday playing the happy big brother much longer than he had wanted to. He didn't even bother asking permission to go to the movies with a group of kids from school. Sunday night when Luc paced the floor back and forth between his room and the bathroom, a symptom of his anxiety, Abby felt sorry for her son. She knew that like his father, Lucas got worked up about testing and presentations so racked up his anxious behavior to the upcoming exam period. Just after 11 pm Abby stood in the hall to give Lucas a hug and quickly said "Hey Bear, it's all going to be ok!" Kissing her son on the top of his head she gently pushed him towards his room.

Tired Lucas dragged himself out of bed once again into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Sam hung off Luc having spent the weekend with him and was hoping the extra attention would continue. Luc's patience was basically nonexistent and when Sam was bouncing around the kitchen and hanging off Lucas' chair or arm he snapped. He called Sam a 'royal pain in the ass' just as Tim walked by.

"You want to rethink your choice of words young man?" Tim asked in a firm authoritative voice.

Hanging his head, thinking his luck was not on the side of the line he needed it to be on. "Sorry Sam" he quickly apologized hoping the slip of the tongue would be just as quickly forgiven.

Tim gave his eldest a severe glare before continuing out the front door calling back "If you want a ride to school you've got 2 minutes to get to the car".

Sam ran to the front door snatched his backpack from the hook and was out the door before Luc had a chance to think through the proposition of a ride. Lucas rolled his eyes and sighed as he too took his school belongings out to the driveway. As he stepped off the last step of the porch the rain pelted him in the face. He'd been so wrapped up in his predicament that he hadn't noticed the weather. His father's offer of a ride made more sense now which actually sent a wave of relief through the young teen. Since every thought that ran through his mind was about his impending visit with Mr. Harper, Lucas has assumed that his father was driving them to school to meet with the principal. But with the weather this nasty it just meant that the boys were being shuttled so that they didn't have to walk to school in the storm.

Tim waved to the boys as they darted through the front door of the school hopping across the many puddles that had formed along the sidewalk. He smiled as Sam tried to pull open the large wooden door and Luc stepped up and helped him accomplish the task, making the younger of the two think he'd done it alone. As a father he was so proud of his eldest who might call his little brother names but deep down he loved him and looked out for him.

When the weather was inclement the students were allowed to hang out in the gym or library before the first bell. Luc walked Sam to his classroom, waited until he had dropped off his jacket and bag and then walked him back to the gym. Sam climbed onto the stage steps and was looking around the large room waiting for his friends. Luc left him happily swinging his legs over the edge of the stairs. Luc scrubbed his face with the palms of his hands. He was standing between the office and the gym in the main foyer of the school. He stood looking down the hall to his classroom and then back to the bench outside the main office. Many minutes passed with Luc weighing his options. Mr. Harper had said he was to meet him in the office on Monday morning. However Luc was unsure if he was to just show up or if he was to wait for a summons; if he waited and that was the wrong choice then he would be in more trouble. Although he'd come to the conclusion that the right answer was to deliver himself to the office before the bell even rang, he couldn't seem to make his feet, body or any other part of himself move in that direction. He remained in the hall way as many other students arrived and moved around him preparing for the school day ahead.

Trips to the principal's office had been an almost routine occurrence for the younger Lucas, but it had been two years since he'd had such an invitation. Knowing what to expect may have made the short trip that much harder. He stood there in the hallway long enough that the morning bell rang, because he didn't move he was jostled by the flow of children heading to their classrooms. When he was once again alone Luc stared towards the open office door where he could see Mrs. Hitherfield, Mr. Cooper's assistant. His brain had engaged enough that the message to move his legs was on route when a teacher asked "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"No sir" Lucas replied instinctively "I have an appointment with Mr. Harper".

"Well then hurry along and get yourself out of the hall."

The short discussion was all Luc needed to overcome the inertia he'd been experiencing. Within seconds Luc stood in front of Mrs. Hitherfield explaining in the lease number of words and without an explanation as to why he needed to be in the office.

"Take a seat, Mr. Harper is late getting this morning, his hydro was out due to the storm" she explained.

He nodded silently and sat on the small bench inside the office area. Leaning forward he slid his backpack off and set it gently on the bench beside him. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, it was the only sound Luc could hear. He saw Mrs. Hitherfield answer the phone but hadn't heard it ring. He saw her scratch notes in her calendar but could only hear the tick, tick, ticking of the clock on the wall. Even as his own heart pounded in his chest he felt each beat. But the ticking overpowered even the rush of pressure in his ears.

Crying snapped him out of his trance like state, he recognized the crying. He watched as Sam entered the outer office followed by the French teacher. Lucas listened as she told Sam that he was responsible for his own situation and that tears were not going to change what was happening. Lucas was at Sam's side inside of a second. Kneeling in front of his younger sibling Lucas took hold of Sam's shoulders and studied his face in hopes of getting some answers as he doubted any of Sam's words would make sense. Luc gently shook Sam's shoulders to get his attention. After having told him several times to calm down and getting no reaction. Sam's sobs turned to sniffles which allowed Luc to listen to the teacher's explanation to the assistant.

In the next few moments Lucas gained a lot of knowledge of Sam's recent academic career. It seemed that Sam had basically stopped doing any of his school work. He had been given extra time to complete the work and it was all due that morning. The French teacher who was beyond frustrated with Sam's attitude and neglect of his work, she had issued a demerit to Sam as he once again had not handed in his homework and when questioned as to why he had been unable to complete it. She had found out when she walked the group back to their class that the demerit was his 10th and so was escorting him to the office for Mr. Harper to deal with the situation.

Mrs. Hitherfield was about to tell Sam to sit on the bench to wait for Mr. Harper as the French teacher stalked out of the room, but he was already there. She hid her smile behind the computer screen as she watched the older of the two boys take care of the little one, moving his backpack so Sam had somewhere to sit.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - WARNING! This chapter contains the corporal punishment of a minor by an authoritative figure. DON'T LIKE? Then DON'T READ! ... if you read you do it at your own choice and I don't want to hear your opinion if you are unhappy you made that choice!**

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Sam wasn't very good at sitting and waiting and so Luc tried to keep him busy playing word games and 'I spy'. When he couldn't keep the little one occupied any longer Luc stood hesitantly and approached Mrs. Hitherfield's desk sluggishly. Luc leaned his hips against the desk and tapped his fingers mindlessly waiting for acknowledgment. As soon as the assistant raised her head Lucas jumbled his words in an effort to ask "Do you know when Mr. Harper is going to be here 'cause ….well…." he wasn't sure how to complain without really complaining. He knew well enough that he didn't really have the right to be unhappy about the wait, but he also knew that Sam wasn't going to be a very patient much longer and he had no interest in keeping his brother calm for much longer, even if he could.

Normally she would be annoyed by a student who had gotten themselves into enough trouble to need to visit the office in the first place and then have the gaul to ask how long they had to wait. In this case she understood and felt sympathetic, Lucas had been keeping Sam occupied and sitting quietly for over 30 minutes and she wasn't so cold to not understand that the older boy would be worried about his own hide as well. So with a gentle smile she replied "Unfortunately I do not know how long it will be" but was unable to finish her explanation as Mr. Harper flew in through the door heading straight to his own office calling "Morning" over his shoulder dripping on the floor along his path.

Lucas followed the man's route with his eyes and when he disappeared into his personal office shot back to Sam and fell onto the bench. Sam could often sink into his own world and pay almost no attention to those around him. But Lucas' bullet like return to his side and panic stricken expression was hard for even Sam to miss. "Is it still going to be ok?" Sam queried.

"In the end, ya, it will be ok" Luc reassured patting Sam on the knee. He then leaned in and whispered something into Sam's ear so that no one else could hear and then wrapped his arm around the little one's shoulder and pulled him closer.

Lucas listened as Mr. Harper moved about his office, with each new sound Lucas tried to visualize what the man was doing. So Luc was not surprised when the footsteps headed back out towards the outer office area. He looked up over his shoulder having to raise his head almost straight up as the man stood beside the bench. "Who do you have there?" Mr. Harper asked Luc.

Sam, Luc and Mrs. Hitherfield all answered "Sam" at the same time. The man smirked having been unable to hear any of their answers. Instead he restated the question "Mrs. Hitherfield who is the second guest we have with us this very wet morning" raking his fingers through his hair spraying water in a circumference large enough to get a few drops on Luc. The assistant explained how Sam had come to be visiting. The principal thought for a moment and then asked for Sam's file, he waited for it before turning back to his desk opening the folder as he walked, stopping in the doorway as he finally made the connection that the 2 kids on the bench were brothers. He chuckled inwardly to himself. Turning only slightly Mr. Harper requested Sam to follow him into the office. Sam slid off the bench, Lucas patting his shoulder as he walked passed.

Lucas watched the hands of the clock that earlier had been ticking loudly now seemed to move ever so slowly. He could hear both the man's and the boy's voices through the closed doors but couldn't make out any words. The hands moved around the face as the minutes passed excruciatingly slowly. Ten minutes passed and they were still talking. A smile crept at the corners of Lucas' lips; he knew Sam could talk anyone in circles. And it would take some time for Mr. Harper to get Sam to understand why he was there in the first place. Lucas was listening intently and closed his eyes to focus his ears when things went dead quiet in the next room. He couldn't determine any voices or movement through the wall and door. So when he heard the swat of a paddle making contact with a body. Since Luc had been forcing himself to listen hard the unexpected break in silence had him involuntarily scrunch up his face and shoulders almost folding himself in half.

Mrs. Hitherfield saw Lucas' reaction and her heart broke just a little. She had seen how he had looked after his sibling and she could see the emotional bond that was also present. Lucas scrunched again with the landing of the second swat. The assistant had wanted to offer some words of support and encouragement but Lucas' own predicament made anything she thought of sound hallow and awkward.

Lucas had tried to close his ears to the office noises after the first smack but his body grotesquely wouldn't allow his brain to shut down. And although he knew the footsteps and sniffles were coming in his direction Luc jumped when the door opened. Sam bolted into his brother's arms, an uncharacteristic behavior. Lucas hugged his brother and then pulled the smaller body away from his own and while maintaining his grip said "Sam, everything is ok. Go back to class and I'll pick you up this afternoon just like normal. K?"

Sam unsure of what else to say or do so he just nodded as he wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. Lucas gave the little boy a big smile and tussled his hair "off you go Monkeyshine". The assistant came around the edge of the desk and held out her hand to Sam, ready to escort him back to his classroom. Sam looked at Luc and then Mrs. Hitherfield "You gonna go back to class now too Luc?" he asked with a look of confusion on his face. "In a minute. OK?" Luc answered haltingly looking out of the corner of his eye at the tall man standing next to him.

The two left into the hallway heading back to Miss Carmichael's class, leaving Luc alone with Mr. Harper. "Well young man let's have that chat we had planned" the principal said heading into his office not waiting for the boy.

Luc rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants before standing. He stalled as he had to step over the threshold. And then quietly turned to shut the door to give the privacy he would later want. When he rotated back around Mr. Harper was leaning against the front of his desk, his arms folded across his chest. Without unfolding his arms Mr. Harper motions with his hand for Lucas to move closer. The student slid through the room to stand several feet away but in front and facing the principal.

They looked at each other silently for a long time, Lucas through the top of his eyes, not able to look at the man straight on. The man was taking his time trying to size up the teen in front of him. Two years ago he had transferred into the position of principal here at St. John's and since then he had only heard Luc's name associated with good deeds. The kid was the eighth grade class admin representative, he volunteered as a reading buddy, and he was also great at the academic portion of the school day. So why then was this kid standing in his office. Since Lucas wasn't speaking he walked around the desk and sat in the chair opening the Lucas Scuito-McGee file that he'd asked to be pulled when he called in to say he'd be late. He flipped through the pages, scanning them quickly. His eyes grew wide as he found page after page of incidents that the student in front of him had been part of. After flipping through much of the file he finally looked up to see the boy staring at the file as well. The kid's demeanor had changed in the few minutes since he'd last looked up at him. Lucas stood taller, squarer and looked right at him.

Lucas no longer needing to care for Sam and having had a few minutes to recover from what he had listened to, as well as having seen the file of his past deeds was able to find the bravado he had once displayed previously in this room.

"Wow" Mr. Harper breathed. "This list surprises me. Not at all what I expected to see."

Luc smiled and suppressed a quiet laugh. "Ya, your arrival gave me the opportunity to turn over a new leaf" Luc offered. It wasn't exactly true but Luc had felt that once he was in middle school he should try and behave so it was close enough to the truth that he didn't feel like he was lying.

"Seeing as this is not the first trip to this office you probably have heard many, if not all the things I have to say."

Pursing his lips, Luc nodded his head once again having to hide a laugh and smile. "That might be the truth" Luc answered after thinking through his options of responses.

"Since you seem to have relapsed into poor decisions maybe you need a refresher on the more important points." Mr. Harper replied waiting to see if he got any response.

When Lucas didn't answer Mr. Harper continued with his prearranged lecture of responsibility, maturity and safety of the whole school. He discussed the devastation of what a fire could do. He talked about leaving elementary school and heading to high school. How once in high school he would need to be more responsible for his actions as there would be less supervision yet higher consequences for not conforming.

Lucas had had many opportunities listening to long lectures. He listened with only half an ear, enough to know when to nod and say yes. He shifted his weight from foot to foot unhurriedly and subconsciously. It was a mannerism he developed years before that was needed to release the building tension as the conversation continued. Mr. Harper had been watching the teen and with his years of experience of dealing with 13 year old boys he had noticed the glazing over of the eyes and the stereotypies that happen when they are no longer listening to the rant.

Mr. Harper wrapped up his speech and has many a child had before Lucas snapped back into the moment. "Are you listening?" the man asked. Moving once again in front of the desk he resumed his previous post.

"Yes, sir" Lucas answered automatically.

"Really?" He asked the boy.

"Yes, sir" he replied immediately.

"So, you have more than one problem here this morning" the man began.

Lucas was startled by the statement and did a double take which didn't go unnoticed.

"Before Friday night you had racked up 9 demerits, your walkabout with Miss Munroe earned you a 10th. And then your irresponsible prank with the lights and umbrellas would have earned you a trip to my office on its own" he explained so the teen would understand.

"Ah!" Luc answered puffing out his cheeks and breathing out deliberately allowing his cheeks to deflate as he did.

As Mr. Harper walked to the far side of the room while Luc followed him with his eyes, the older of the two retrieved the school paddle he had placed beside the desk only minutes before. Carrying the implement in his right hand while he gently tapped it in his left, he returned to his station. His years of experience had also taught him that pageantry and showmanship were just as much part of teaching the lesson as the lecture and punishment were.

"Do you remember what I said about this" tipping his head towards the paddle "two years ago when I joined this community?" Mr. Harper asked.

Nodding Luc answered "ya".

"I meant it. I do not want to have to use this. My goal really is to not have to ever use it." Mr. Harper reminded Luc of the details of the declaration from his first ever assembly. "And so far Mr. McGee I haven't needed it until today… " Mr. Harper continued.

Luc dropped his head shaking it. Great he thought to himself, not only was he getting it, he was breaking this man's streak of not having to dish it out!

"Really sorry about that sir" Lucas shifted into damage control mode. "We can just write this all off as something stupid and I can promise to never do any of this again. That way you keep your streak and" but Lucas was interrupted "my streak was broken with your brother so you don't need to worry about that" Mr. Harper responded keeping the smile under control.

"That is a shame that it is already broken. However I think that since you are so against its use I can be persuaded to ensure that my behavior will be impeccable for the remainder of my time here at St. John's. I have 2 more weeks, one of which is exam week so I really won't have time to get into any more trouble. So there is no need for you to have to use it again and you can start counting your days without swinging immediately."

"That is very considerate of you and something the Lucas I know is more like than the one I saw on Friday" Mr. Harper answered. "Unfortunately I need to follow through with the rules and regulations set out by the student handbook. If not for your benefit but for those left here after you leave so that they understand that I will follow through with what is written and they have been told."

Lucas was running out of stalls and reasons as to why he shouldn't be punished. The two stood face to face noiselessly in a stare down of sorts. When Lucas remained uncommunicative Mr. Harper decided there was no more need to discuss anything.

"Com' on young man let's get this finished" standing and motioning to the small desk pushed against the side wall. Lucas twisted on the spot, looked at the student desk and then back at the principal. With a huge sigh Lucas headed to the desk and bent over it placing his head on his folded arms.

Four swats landed in equally spaced succession. Lucas was too pissed off at himself for getting into this situation to do anything but growl as each landed on his now burning backside. When he was instructed to stand again he straightened and before moving anymore took several deep breaths to become completely composed.

"Luc, I believe that last week was a bit a blip in your otherwise stellar past 2 years. Keep up with that reputation as you move onto high school. Deal?"

"Deal" Luc answered as he took the hall pass from Mr. Harper. Luc made a stop at the restrooms as he wanted a moment or two to get ready before returning to class. This was going to be a long day; as exam review was all that was on the schedule. If the meeting that morning hadn't been so unpleasant it would have been an excellent place to stay to avoid the rest of the day.

The groups of students gathered around tables studying and working on practice questions meant that Luc was able to slip into class without an audience. Sean, having been waiting for his friend, was the only one to notice and slipped out of his chair and over to his friend wanting to give support. "You alright, man?" he asked.

"Ya, I'm fine. Let's get to work so I don't start wondering if he's going to call home or not" Luc answered walking to an open table he and Sean could share.


	10. Chapter 10

The day dragged on so slowly that at one point Lucas thought it would never end. Revision made him both tired and cranky without having to also worry about his actions being found out by the troops at home. Lucas took his time packing his bag and saying goodbye to his friends by the lockers, so that by the time he retrieved Sam, the little guy was the last one in the classroom.

Miss Carmichael had heard through the teacher grapevine about Lucas' morning problems and having had a special place in her heart for these boys wanted to make sure he was alright.

"You alright Luc?" she asked as he knocked on the classroom door.

"Ya, I'm fine Miss Carmichael" smiling both to show her he was ok and because it felt good that someone cared enough to ask how he was doing.

Sam gathered his belongings and happily headed out the door with his brother. They walked slowly through the streets on the way home. The radiant sunshine was such a contrast to how Lucas was feeling. As they approached the park Sam began to beg to go play for a few minutes. Not actually wanting to go home Lucas decided it was a good stall. "Sure Sam… but only for a few minutes" Luc responded. Sam threw his backpack on the ground as he ran towards the climber. He swung from rung to rung happy and oblivious that there was something to be worried about. Lucas envied his younger brother's lack of unease.

Lucas was sitting texting with friends for several minutes before Kayla's text dinged through. Lucas quickly called her to tell her where they were and that he was very sorry for forgetting to let her know. He said Sam was so excited about the park, notifying her of there later arrival had slipped his mind. He added the sunshine and whole day of studying to the list of excuses. Kayla happy that the boys were safe, laughed at Lucas' overzealous apology. "No problem Luc, I just wanted to make sure all was well" she answered before hanging up.

When Lucas' friends were all pulled away from their electronic devices he was left to his own thoughts and anxieties. He tried playing on the swings with his brother but nothing seemed to keep his mind off his guilt. He wasn't actually guilty about his actions at school. Mr. Harper had swiftly dealt with that. Lucas was worried that he had spent the weekend 'play acting' the doting big brother, his deception of how well the dance had gone and the accumulation over the semester of the 10 demerits without coming clean to either of his parents. Now, hindsight being 20/20 he understood that telling them about his slowly increasing demerits. If they knew that he was making tiny mistakes all along they would be sympathetic to his plight and be understanding if he reached the dreaded number of ten. However instead he had hid these misdemeanors, he had played the perfect child in hopes of leading them away from his errors.

As his emotions spiraled out of control Lucas' eyes filled with tears, feeling very sorry for himself. Sam who often wouldn't notice others or understand their feelings noticed his sibling's face. Sam curious about why Luc was upset stood in front of Luc's now still swing. "Why you crying?" Sam asked. "I'm not crying" Lucas spit out with disgust. "Ya, you are?" Sam said not understanding. Sam stared into Lucas' face trying very hard to figure out what was going on. "Did you get hurt?" the smaller one asked only getting a shake of a head as an answer. "Did someone die?" again only a shake of the head as an answer. "Did you get into trouble?" Sam asked coming to the end of the list of reasons he understood someone would cry about. When he got no answer he wasn't sure exactly what that meant so he asked again "Did you get into trouble?"

"Shut up Sam, you don't know anything" Lucas yelled jumping down off the swing and grabbing his bag as he headed towards the sidewalk. "Get your backpack we need to go" Lucas called back over his shoulder.

"What did ya do?" Sam asked, Luc ignoring his questions and walking too fast for Sam to walk comfortably. "What did I do?" Sam asked knowing he was now suffering the brunt of Lucas' unhappiness. "Shut up would you!" he said again not looking back to see where Sam was. Although Sam would normally be angry with Lucas and wrestle him to the ground because of the yelling, he didn't. The day had been long for him as well and although he didn't consciously worry about the arrival of the parent folk home it played on his emotions. So instead of attacking Luc he burst into tears and dropped to his knees in the middle of the sidewalk. Lucas stopped sighed exaggeratedly his shoulders dropping and his head flung backwards. Looking up at the sky he spat out "Jesus Christ" through clenched teeth. He turned around and headed back to Sam's crumpled form.

"Sam, stand up" Lucas said reigning in his tone enough to not sound angry. Luc held out his hand to Sam in hopes that the kid would take it and come along with him with no more effort. But instead Sam stayed put. Luc crouched down so he was closer to Sam's face. "Sam I've had a really bad day, I really don't have the patience to deal with 'this' right now. Can you please just come with me?" Luc's voice quieter and calmer this time.

"No" Sam stated.

"No?"

"No. I don't want to go home right now" Sam answered. Luc had the same feeling but experience had told him that disappearing was a really bad idea and so began to explain. "Sam. We need to go home. Kayla is expecting us very soon and she has probably gotten a snack all ready for us. Not going home is not an option, that just gets you into more trouble. I understand what kind of a day you had, I know you don't want to deal with tonight" he said out loud but to himself he continued 'because neither do I'. "But no matter what you want or don't want you are already in this situation and you can't change that now. The best thing to do is come with me, we'll go home and if you just keep your mouth shut and only answer questions you are asked, remember to be polite and say how sorry you are and that you won't do it again, then everything will be the best it can be. Do you understand?" Luc's patience once again at its end.

Sam shifted his weight enough for Luc to understand he would come with him, so he too moved and together they started for home.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N - Thank you for being patient! RL once again got too busy to be able to write. With a long weekend it is my hope I can find time to finish up this little story - WARNING - as with previous chapters there is physical discipline of a minor by a parent in this chapter - Don't LIKE DON'T READ - You've been warn! **

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Abby stood at her computer moving to the music that blared from the stereo. She didn't hear Tim enter behind her an started when he gently placed his hands around her middle, drawing her close to him. He kisses her cheek from behind as she turns to see her husband. "You here for the evidence?" she asked, sad that he had not brought a caf pow with him. "Ya, I know you didn't call but I thought you might have something by now" he answered not letting go. "Well" she began when the phone on the desk rang. Quickly muting the music with the remote with her right hand Abby answers the phone by pushing the speaker mode button with her left hand. "Hello Abby Scuito's lab how can I help you?" she said jovially. "Hello Ms. Scuito this is Mr. Harper, the principal at St. John's Catholic school." The man on the other end began but was cut off by Abby's panicked "Are the boys alright?"

"Yes… they are… "he thought for a moment what the correct adjective would be " They are fine" he decided to answer.

"If they are fine than to what do we owe this phone call?" she asked somewhat annoyed.

"We?" the man on the other end asked. Paying close attention to words was part of his job.

"Ah, yes Mr. Harper. It's Tim McGee. I'm here as well. How can we help you this morning Mr. Harper?" Tim asked cordially. Giving Abby a look of "let me speak".

"Oh. Well that makes it convenient." Mr. Harper began. The conversation continued for well over 15 minutes as Mr. Harper described each of the boys' missteps. Understanding the old adage of "boys will be boys" Mr. Harper was careful not to exaggerate the mistakes and wanted to convey that his sole purpose for calling was to fulfill his obligation that he must disclose when he administers physical chastisement. He explained that he felt the boys had been both penitent and accepted their punishment without a fight.

Abby and Tim listened quietly. Abby asking a question every now and again, understanding of the situation becoming clearer as the conversation continued. The tension in the lab rose with each passing minute. Mr. Harper was not privy to the rest of the story, the behavior exhibited by Lucas at home, which irked both of his parents. Tim thanked the principal and hung up the line as Abby seethed beside him.

"Tim.." she said angrily. "That boy … do you think he.." she had questioning in her voice but didn't finish speaking.

Tim just as angry because he too felt that he and his wife had been played by their eldest pulled his wife into a hug. Their strength as parents came from the deep relationship and bond they had. As Abby pulled away both adults said "I call it" at exactly that same time. "You can't call it" they then said together. Laughing at their combined attempt at weaseling out of the situation Abby offers. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

With a nod of his head Tim agrees holding out his fist at the same time. The two shake their hands to the mantra of Rock, paper, scissors and Abby wins her flat hand covering her husband's fisted rock. "I win" she cheers "You get to deal with the boys". "Best 2 out of 3" Tim offers a pout on his face. Feeling only a little sorry for her spouse she thinks about the proposal. "Ok" she agrees. But with a second success in a row she places her hands on Tim's shoulders turns him bodily towards the door and gently pushes him out of the lab with the well wishes of "Good Luck, see you after bed time" and returns to her computer to process that which she had been working on earlier.

Tim returned to his desk to continue working. He had hours to contemplate how he was going to approach the situation at home. It was times like these that he would ruminate on his relationship with his own father. And he would consider what his father would have done in the same circumstances. Tim generally tried to be more understanding and tempered when doling out consequences. But when either boy pulled a stunt like at least one of them had this time Tim questioned if he was doing right by his kids.

Tim wasn't as upset about the accumulation of 10 demerits by either boy. Children would make mistakes and each of the minor issues was nothing that was in and of themselves a big deal. The idea that both boys could rack up 10 points without seemingly to make an effort to change their miscreant ways was maybe an issue. However, unlike his own father, he would not jump to such conclusions and wait to hear their side of the story. He was upset though at both children's absence of an explanation prior to this morning. He would give Sam a bit of leeway in that Tim was pretty sure the little guy probably was clueless as to the rising number of demerits and what that ultimately meant. Lucas was another story. He knew Friday night he'd accumulated enough points to be visiting the principal's office and if Tim and Abby's suspicions were correct he had not only kept that quiet he had tried to manipulate them by being the 'perfect' big brother over the weekend.

Tim was unable to focus on the task at hand and by the time he was to be heading home he had accomplished very little detective work he had been supposed to accomplish that day. Packing up his laptop and other files he decided that after he'd spoken to the boys he would be able to get a few things completed at the home office. Checking for the second time that he had everything he would need not to return to the office he headed to the elevator giving orders to his team about what he expected them to achieve before heading home themselves.

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As the boys' walked Luc tried to remind Sam of the prudent ways to deal with mom and dad. Luc explained that Sam should be contrite and say sorry but not offer any extra information that wasn't asked for. Luc weighed his options of telling his brother not to mention that he himself was also in the office as the percent chance of Mr. Harper only reporting one of them was basically zero he didn't bring it up as Sam under pressure may mention Luc's coached deception.

Kayla was happy to see the boys and ushered them into the kitchen where she had indeed set up a snack on the table for them. Lucas forced a smile and polite thank you, Sam grumpily threw his bag in the hall, ditched his shoes and climbed up on to the chair. Kayla wasn't surprised by Sam's attitude she had seen so many end of school days that his unpleasantness didn't even register. She knew after a bit to eat, time on his bike or in front of the tv was medicine for a long day.

Kayla happily asked Lucas how his day went and when his response was cold and short she became concerned; asking more and more questions that in turn made Lucas feel more and more uneasy. To shut down the conversation he finally answered "It is exam revision week… I just it so monotonous and boring that the day takes forever to end… and I still have to study the things I actually need to do…" he answered carrying his plate to the sink. "I'm going to go to my room and sort out what is important for the exams next week" flashing his bright smile as he left the room.

Kayla continued with her usual routine, making supper, watching Sam as he visibly deflated in front of the television. By the time the food was on the table Sam was 80% back to his loud and bouncy self, but Lucas was much more sullen. Kayla had learned over the years how each of the boys responded to difficult situations and began to have suspicions about Lucas' explanation of his day. But has she had in the past, she kept silent. She had decided many years ago that she was never going to be the 'heavy' and always be the ear to listen and the shoulder to lean on. It had served her well in that she was able to maintain enough authority to ensure the boys behaved while in her care but was looked upon as a friend.

Kayla raised her eyebrows in Lucas' direction when he jumped at the sound of the front door closing. If she hadn't been aware that Luc was hiding something it would have become plainly clear. The teen glared back at her knowing glance.

"Mr. McGee I didn't realize you would eating with us so I didn't set you a place" Kayla offered as both boys' heads dropped and their eyes looked sideways at their father.

"No problem Kayla, I'll get my own plate. Is the food in the fridge or still out on the …" he didn't finish his question as he noticed the pots and pans still containing the remainder of the supper on the counter.

Filling his plate slowly he watched his children. Their body language screamed guilt and Lucas' wayward glances towards his brother and father confirmed Tim's feelings about Lucas' recent behavior. He took his food and sat down at his usual place. Kayla and Tim carried on a friendly chat about the weather, Kayla's current studies and Tim's expectations for her time that evening. Once dinner was over he explained she could go home and work on her dissertation. He would clean up he said. Luc surreptitiously watched the conversation. He had known deep down that there was no way Mr. Harper wouldn't contact his parents. He knew that there was probably some sort of regulation or something that prevented him from keeping it secret. Luc had just hoped that with only 2 weeks of school left, and with him leaving Mr. Harper would have been willing to bend the rules. Luc also knew that Mr. Harper had no idea that in the Scuito-McGee household you answered for your mistakes again once at home regardless of the circumstances. Nor did the principal know that Luc had been hiding his transgressions and imminent meeting and altering his usual day to day behavior to garner favour in case the situation was discovered.

Luc sat at the dinner table pushing his food around the plate seething, with every passing moment getting angrier with those he deemed responsible for his current predicament. For all the worry that he didn't pay enough attention to his sons or wasn't there for them all the time, Tim was comforted by the fact that he easily read Luc's ever degrading composure and understood from whence it came. Tim realized that if his eldest sat at the table much longer he was going to explode and dig himself a much deeper hole than he already found himself in. In an effort to save his son, and maybe himself, from having to deal with such an outcome he instructed Luc to clear away his place and meet him in the office. Tim's tone and bearing were that of his federal agent persona and the calm demand brought Lucas back to the moment. Following the orders was easy as he couldn't eat much anyway with his gut in tight knots. The boy kept his eye on the man as he scraped his plate, placed everything in the sink and then headed out of the room and down the hallway.

Sam sat watching, oblivious to his brother's plight. He still hadn't been privy to the circumstances that had lead him to find Luc in the office that morning and due to his own problems hadn't taken the time to ask. That was until now. "Why is Luc in trouble?" Sam innocently inquired.

"I would be more worried about myself if I were you young man" Tim answered.

Sam's brow furrowed as the heat quickly turned in his direction. Kayla was surprised by the implication that Sam too had gotten into trouble. Not that he didn't find himself there often but his behavior had not been out of character this afternoon. She quickly finished up her own plate, cleared away the dishes and said her goodbyes as Sam stared at his father and Tim continued to eat the remains of his own meal.

"Clear your spot Sam" Tim said as he too stood and cleared not only his plate but the entire table. Sam moved slowly monitoring his dad's demeanor and actions. Sam was just finishing his chores when Tim brought back the cloth having wiped up the table and put away the placemats.

"Come with me" Tim told Sam as he took the small boy by the shoulder and lead him to the living room.

It was Tim's plan to gather some more information before deciding on any punishment. Sam had, on the whole behaved so much better this year. But his repeated disregard for the basic rules couldn't go unanswered. Tim sat on the sofa gently pulling Sam to stand in front of him, at this level they were face t to face.

"Sam, Mr. Harper called your mother and I this morning, he said you had accumulated 10 demerits and had to visit his office" Tim began before being interrupted.

"I only just forgot my homework for French" Sam explained his voice rising in pitch.

"Sam, that's what happened today. But that was only 1 of 10 things that got you into this conundrum" Tim tried to explain.

"But I already got in trouble for those things" Sam said. Tim initial thought was that Sam was being disingenuous yet the look of absolute confusion on the boy's face told him otherwise. Sam really believed that he'd been punished that day for his unfinished French homework and that alone. Tim took several minutes to calmly explain why that was not the case, and that the demerit system was set up so that every offence was not punished individually and that the student was given an opportunity to change their ways. And that once 10 offences were reached then a larger consequence was handed out to reinforce that their choices needed to be altered. Sam understood the premise by the time Tim finished his long winded description but told his father "I don't agree with it". Tim had to stop himself from laughing as his youngest was very serious. "What exactly do you not agree with?" he decided to get clarification. "I don't think they should pile up your mistakes like that. I should have 10 chances with French and 10 chances with gym and 10 chances with Library and.." Tim held up his hand to stop his now rambling child.

"Sam… how about this… I am going to ask Miss Carmichael to inform me each time you receive a demerit" he couldn't finish his sentence as Sam yelled "That's not fair.." and he too was stopped by Tim putting his finger over the little one's lips. "Listen until I'm finished" he raised his brow and tilted his head in such a way that Sam knew to keep quiet. "I will get Miss Carmichael to tell me so that you and I can discuss why it was given and how to change your behavior in hopes of not getting another one." Sam tried again to speak but was stopped by the same gesture again. "That way your mother and I can help you keep track of the issues and then maybe you won't get yourself into this situation again. There won't be any recriminations for those offences, just like at school. We will simply talk about ways to help you make better choices or fix the problems at hand. Ok?" Tim finished lifting his finger from his son's mouth.

"I don't think it's a good plan. You'll get mad at me 10 times instead of 1" Sam answered.

Sighing Tim tried again "No Sam I promise that your mother and I won't be angry. I think it will help you never get to 10 again."

Sam still unsure of how that was going to help stood watching his father's face. It didn't seem like there was any way to get the man to change his mind no matter what he said. He couldn't though bring himself to agree.

Tim sensing Sam was far from coming to the same understanding as he had decided to move on. "Sam we do have to deal with the current accumulation of 10 demerits and the fact that you didn't tell either your mother or I that you were so close to getting sent to the principal's office."

Sam jumped to his own defense, I didn't know I was so close, I wasn't really paying attention to the number I didn't not tell you. He said the not emphasized with both tone and volume. That was actually what Tim had suspected, Sam wouldn't have noticed what number he was at nor would he have registered what getting to 10 really meant.

"I understand that until now you were unaware of exactly what the reasoning behind the system was and what the consequences would be. That being said from this point forward you do understand and I am expecting that you will pay more attention to your behavior the rules at school and you will try your hardest to stay out of trouble. Am I clear?" Tim's tone was firm and decisive.

Sam nodded his head, unhappy that no one ever listened to his ideas. Upon getting the nod Tim took Sam's right arm in his right hand and quickly turned his son so that they were no longer facing but Sam was now sideways. Tim applied a few solid smacks to the boy's backside before the kid's left hand flew back to protect himself from any more swats. "Hey" Sam cried "Mr. Harper already did that". His angry face turned back to his father as he was released. "I know that" Tim answered "I just want to reinforce the fact that you don't want to end up here again." Sam feeling sorry for himself as well as angry that the world just didn't understand him stormed off to his room.

Tim weighed the merits of further discussion with his youngest and in the end chose to ignore the outburst and instead go and deal with his other offspring.


	12. Chapter 12

Tim remained motionless outside his own office door. He had dealt with Sam and needed a few seconds to breathe before beginning his discussion with Luc. He had been disappointed that Sam had gotten into trouble but he wasn't actually angry with the young boy, he knew he'd had to use the situation to teach a lesson but remaining calm, cool and collected had been easy. The conversation he was about to have was nothing like that. He needed every ounce of energy he had to not go in guns blazing. He wasn't going to get any real answers or be able to convey appropriate responses if he went in all 'hell fire'.

So sighing deeply he turned the handle and entered to find Lucas sitting on the big chair in front of the desk, his knees drawn up to his chin and his face buried in his lap.

XXXXXX NCIS XXXXXXX

Lucas tried listening at the door. He wasn't actually interested in what his father said to Sam, he wanted to know the tone and demeanor of the conversation. That way he would be able to better judge how his father was feeling and react accordingly. What Luc failed to grasp was that his situation was nothing like his younger brother's. When he has surmised that his dad was actually quite calm and he was simply reinforcing the school rules Lucas' heart rate decrease ever so slightly. He was able to stop pacing and moved instead to sit on the big comfy chair in front of the desk. A chair he would curl up on to do homework or read. From this location it was even harder to hear what was going on in the living room but enough sounds carried that Luc could tell when the conversation ended and Sam's lesson was reinforced physically. It was the second time that day his body involuntarily winced at his brother's predicament. This time however it came from a place of great worry about himself.

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Lucas didn't look up when the door opened. He didn't need to see his father to know it was he who had entered. Tim holding on very tenuously to his composure didn't like that his arrival was not being acknowledged. After counting to ten in his head to keep from blowing up Tim was able to address Luc in an even voice although not necessarily calm or understanding.

"Lucas I want a full explanation of what in the hell you were thinking" Tim commanded.

"Dad…. I… I'm really sorry… I just… I didn't mean for … I … I'm sorry" unable to continue as his eyes filled with large pools of tears and his throat closed in an effort to stop from sobbing.

"Lucas… don't even try it… I am beyond disappointed with your recent behavior. Don't try and tell me that you didn't know full well what you were doing. Trying to play us for the fools? Did you really think we wouldn't find out? Did you really think Mr. Harper wasn't going to contact us? Not only have you accumulated 10 demerits earning you a trip to the principal's office you deliberately tried to start a fire at the dance. And then after having committed both offences you chose to not only hide them from us but you played the doting perfect child in an effort to win favour where none is deserved." While he spoke it positioned himself standing against the desk facing the young teen.

"I didn't do all that" Lucas tried to defend his actions.

"No?" Tim asked eyebrows raised and arms folded across his chest. "What did you do then?" although the words were meant to give Lucas a chance to fully explain himself the tone with which they were delivered suggested that any answer would be sorely lacking in believability.

"I did do those things Mr. Harper said… but you make them sound … so much more horrible then they were… I got 10 points… but I was trying really hard not to… I've had 9 for a really long time… and the 10th just sort of happened at the dance… none of them were huge offences Dad … really… just little things… I forgot to hand something in… the whole class got one for being loud… and I was late a couple of times… " Luc tried to explain although he was having a hard time speaking through his crying.

"Were you late to class because you were dealing with Sam?" Tim asked knowing the answer already but giving his son the benefit of the doubt even if he didn't feel that generous.

Lucas thought for a few moments about lying and using Sam as a scapegoat. He knew that it wouldn't alleviate all of the trouble he was in but it would mitigate it to a point. But Lucas wasn't that stupid and he shook his head no.

"So you were sitting on 9 demerits for some time… and in none of that time you thought it wise to come to me or your mother and give us a heads up? … you didn't consider coming to us and explaining that you understood what sort of predicament you were in and that you were making a great effort to change your ways?" Tim continued snarkily.

"Dad… I didn't say anything to you because I was changing my ways… I was working very hard at school and being very careful to follow all the rules and be one time and hand everything in… I really was" Luc breathed out through hitched sobs that were slowing.

"And what about your behavior at the dance?" Tim asked.

"I went down a hall I wasn't supposed to… Dad it wasn't a big deal… I just forgot… we are normally allowed in that part of the school… it was just off bounds for the dance… but there was no sign or anything… it was a mistake… nothing sinister or deliberate" Lucas was moving from self-pitying to anger. His dad was not being reasonable about these 10 demerits and Lucas in his emotional state didn't think through his thoughts before continuing.

"You aren't being fair… you make it sound like I set out to do wrong" he half yelled back.

Tim took a step forward before stopping himself. He closed his eyes and once again counted to ten. "Lucas I highly suggest you rope in your attitude young man because I am this close" holding up his finger and thumb only a quarter inch apart "to giving you the licking of your life without so much as an explanation as to why.. am I clear?"

"Yes" Lucas answered in a whisper tears falling in earnest once again.

"Do you have a decent justification as to why you might want to set the school on fire?" Tim asked to continue the conversation.

"I wasn't trying to set the school on fire… I wasn't … we just thought it would be funny to see someone have to use the fire extinguisher… and I had a cup of water with me… just in case… I didn't want to hurt anyone or anything… I really didn't …." Lucas sputtered between hiccups. "I didn't want to set anything on fire for real" for the first time during the conversation Tim saw actual and real remorse and heard the honesty in the words.

"Let's then move on to why on Saturday when you got home from Sean's did you not come to me or your mother to confess what had happened. You knew before you left the dance that you would be visiting the principal on Monday with severe consequences. You understand how this family works and you know darn well that if you had come to us over the weekend this conversation would be very very different." Through talking Tim was calming down, his anger released through his words until he remembered that which had made him furious in the first place. "Not only did you not tell us you tried to curry favour by being the 'perfect' big brother. You were doing those nice things not out of the goodness of your heart but to keep yourself out of trouble. You even canceled your trip to the movies to garner more good will. That sort of behavior is deceitful, under handed and belittles the times you do those things for the right reasons."

"Daaaaadddd" Lucas began. "Tell me I'm wrong" Tim offered "tell me I'm wrong!"

Lucas' guilt had been building since well before the weekend, it had begun to grow when he had received the warning slip he'd reached 9 demerits. From that point forward many if not all of his actions were to minimize the fall out should he ever receive the 10th. And since Friday's dance every decision he made was done to put himself in the best light, not because he wanted to be the 'perfect son' but because he needed the brownie points for this moment. And in this moment all of his plans were backfiring. They had gotten him into more trouble not less. His actions had been seen for what they were, deceitful. Instead of offering any excuses Luc just whispered "I'm sorry Dad… I really am sorry".

"I'm pretty sure that most of those tears are because you're sorry your plan didn't work. I don't doubt you are also sorry for your actions; however I truly believe that your feelings of remorse are for how deep you've dug yourself."

Lucas wanted to argue, he wanted to tell his father that he was wrong. That he was this sorry over his behavior, but he couldn't. It wasn't the truth. He was tied up in knots over how much trouble he was in and the guilt of the original sins was well overshadowed by the looming reprimand.

"Do have anything else to say for yourself?" Tim asked knowing full well that Lucas couldn't say anything that would justify his actions or mitigate the consequences he was about to receive. But he wanted to be fair just in case there was something he had overlooked.

"I am sorry" was all Lucas could offer. With that Tim wordlessly directed his son to stand and come closer. Lucas robotically responded as his muscles were fighting his every move to obey.

Tim stepped from his leaning position against the desk and quietly demanded "let's go…bend over" knowing that his son had heard something very similar earlier that day. Lucas already fully crying slowly conformed. He was slightly confused as he had never been punished like this at home before; if he had been on the receiving end of more than a swat or two he had always found himself draped over one or the other parent's lap. This new more formal punishment had him feeling lost and on edge.

Tim retrieved his Gibb's made paddle from the desk drawer before returning to his son's side. Lucas' heart was pounding while he waited. He did not like this new ritual and was about to say something to that affect when he felt the paddle rest on his backside and then he felt it being lifted. He mentally felt the sting before the paddle even landed. His mind augmenting the reality as his guilt, worry and boxed up emotions finally found release.

Tim delivered a serious thrashing before replacing the paddle in the desk drawer. Lucas cried vehemently through the entire episode. He didn't move even after he heard the drawer open and close. Lucas didn't even try to stop the sobs and continued to let them rack his entire body even after Tim gently pulled him to standing and then wrapped his arms around the boy holding him close to his chest. Tim kissed Luc's head and smoothed his hair as he waited for the crying to abate. It took quite some time as Lucas had many weeks of pent up emotion to let go of as well as the actual pain his backside was in. He was no stranger to a sting in his tail, but this was very different as he was actually feeling sore.

The two of them stood in an embrace for a long time. Tim not wanting to let go as he wanted Lucas to feel the love he always had for his son, even when he had to punish him. Lucas because he desperately craved the physical contact that let him know he was loved no matter what. When the boy was finally noiseless Tim continued to hold him close with his right arm while he tipped the child's face to his with his left. "Lucas I will always love you no matter what" Tim whispered and then kissed the child's forehead. Lucas leaned back into his father's chest for another few seconds before finally stepping away. He wasn't sure of what to say or do so he headed for the door. Tim watched him leave and fell into the chair his hands holding his head as he breathed for the first time since the punishment began.

Both father and son spent the next few minutes in quiet solitude working through the conversation and chastisement. Both needed time to process the words, actions and feelings produced by the situation.

Lucas was dressed in his sleep pants and laying on his bed when Tim finally came to tuck him in. Once again he kissed his son, smoothed his hair and said "I love you with all my heart".

"I know Dad… I know" Lucas answered as he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N - Usual disclaimers and warnings apply... **

**And I didn't get a chance to write back to everyone who reviewed. Thanks and I hope everyone is having a great day.**

* * *

Abby arrived home late; having discovered a substance on the newest victims clothing that needed immediate testing. She had expected to find Tim in bed sleeping but instead found him in their shared office with his laptop in front of him. Abby understood the feelings you went through as a parent after having punished a child, however she was surprised by the look of despair he still expressed.

"You ok?" she asked quietly as Tim looked up from his work he wasn't actually accomplishing.

"Ya…" he ventured seeing if by saying the word allow it would make it more true. "No" he decided was the actual response needed.

"What's up?" Abby asked walking across the room placing herself against the desk between the computer and her husband. Tim leaned back in his chair and looked up into his loving wife's face. He took a few moments trying to put into words the feelings he had been trying to work through. At first he'd been confused as to why he had been feeling so much more out of sorts than any other time he'd been in the same situation. But after some thought and soul searching he understood the problem.

"Well … I feel like a complete heel… that's what's up" Tim answered his tone deprecating and dripping with self-loathing.

"Oh Kay" Abby answered slowly unsure of what must have happened to have Tim feeling and acting this way.

When Tim didn't offer a better explanation or continue speaking Abby tried to help him voice his concerns by suggesting "Why don't you start at the beginning and maybe I can help you figure this all out?"

Tim began slowly starting from the moment he walked through the front door and continued right through to the moment he tucked Lucas into bed. His description was just that, an account of the happenings, a step by step process of the occurrences so that Abby had all the factual information he did.

"Oh Kay" she said again once he'd finished "What in all that has you acting like this?" she inquired.

"I acted like my own father… and I keep doing that… even though I try so hard not to" Tim spat out.

"What did you do that made you feel that way?" Abby started and paused as Tim rolled his eyes. "Look Mr. McPity the way you recounted the situation I am not understanding exactly your problem… How about you fill in the blanks?"

Taking a deep breath for the millionth time that night Tim started "It isn't what I did exactly. I have thought about it hard and I do believe that that young man deserved every lick he received… but it wasn't actually the punishment itself that was the problem… it was everything I said leading up to it… I told him what he had been thinking… I told him what he'd done… I told him what he'd been feeling… and again… I don't think I was wrong in my assessment… the problem is I told him" Tim explained highlighting the word told every time he said it. "I didn't give Lucas a chance to explain himself… I used the words to give him the chance… but they were just words… how I said them… how I offered… they didn't really leave any room for explanation… they were just words… the opportunity to actually explain… wasn't there… I was too angry… I wasn't thinking about how the inability to express his thoughts, even if they were exactly as I expected, would make him feel about the whole situation… it's easier to accept the consequences of your actions if you feel like you were heard… I know how that feels… and I promised I wouldn't do that to any of my children… and I did do it" he finished.

"I see" Abby said through clenched teeth feeling sorry for her two guys. She understood how Tim must feel, having broken a promise he'd made about being different than his cold uncaring father, and Lucas for being shut down in a way he was unaccustomed.

"Look … Tim… You can fix this… you just need to apologize and give Lucas the chance to explain even if it is later than would be perfect" she said leaning down taking his face in both her hands and then planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I can't apologize" Tim said confused. "If I apologize he'll think I disagree with the reprimand… and I don't… he did deserve it… I was hard… and I don't want him to think that I am going back on that decision" Tim cut back.

"You can apologize" Abby insisted looking annoyed and giving a very good rendition of a Gibbs "knock it off" look. "And you will… Lucas is old enough to listen… and understand the nuances of the situation… you said yourself that you could tell he felt differently about the whole situation and that he reacted differently than normal… he may need help to identify the particular details that are making it feel out of place…" Abby explained.

She took both of his hands and tugged him to a stand. "Com' on I'm tired… let's go to bed and tomorrow you can talk to Lucas and fix everything… you'll see…" Abby turned towards the door keeping hold of one hand while she pulled her reluctant spouse along behind her.

XXXXXX NCIS XXXXXX

The early morning light streamed through the slats in the semi opened blinds that were gently batting the window frame as the breeze flowed through the window. Lucas stirred slowing coming into a waking consciousness. Turning his head away from the light, he squinted, his eyes adjusting to the brightness he wasn't expecting. He startled as a figure came into focus, someone was sitting on his chair their legs propped up on the end of his bed. "Dad?" he said asking a much longer question in just the one word.

"I thought we should talk" Tim answered knowing what his son meant.

"Aaarggh" Luc groaned burying his face in his pillow, he had no interest in talking, and there had been enough of that last night and none of it productive.

"Ok then… I'll talk and you listen" Tim offered, understanding why Lucas would be hesitant to jump into any oral debate.

Tim didn't wait for an answer, he needed to clear the air and even if it meant talking to the back of Lucas' head he was going to do it. He'd been sitting here for over an hour waiting for the boy to wake up. Unable to sleep himself, Tim had woken, showered and come to wait hoping that today would go better for both he and his son with this conversation over.

"Lucas, I wanted to apologize yesterday for the way I behaved" Tim began. His shocked son shot up, pushing his torso up with his arms. "Don't look so surprised" Tim scoffed. "I want you to listen."

Lucas lowered himself back on to the bed his head now resting on the pillow and facing his father. "I'm listening" he said wanting to encourage the man to get on with it.

"I am not apologizing for punishing you, just so you know. I do believe that your accumulated offences warranted serious correction" he paused as Lucas huffed derisively. "Lucas, please" Tim asked.

"Ok" the teen replied hiding his face back in his bedding.

"I am sorry though for how I treated you." Lucas turned once again this time his expression confused.

"What I mean is I didn't let you explain yourself. I may have asked you what happened but I didn't really give you the time or … provide the atmosphere… that would let you do just that… I made assumptions… which I still believe to be true… but I didn't allow you to time to rebut them… or give you a chance to give your reasons… and for that I am very sorry and I hope you can forgive me" Tim finished.

Lucas turned enough to be able to see his dad's face and took several moments to study it. His demeanor was calm, his face reflected the feelings of remorse sincerely and he seemed to be waiting for some sort of acknowledgement from him.

"Sure" Lucas said hesitantly.

"Sure?" Tim repeated as a question. "If you are not ready to forgive me, I can see why…" Lucas interrupted before Tim could finish his sentence. "No… that's not what I meant… I forgive you… I …" it was Luc's turn to be unsure of how to proceed.

"What is it son?" Tim asked moving from the chair to sit beside Luc on the bed, his hand on his child's back. Luc dropped his face back into the pillow, too embarrassed to voice what he was thinking and feeling. Tim waited a few more moments before trying again "Look Luc, it's not always easy to say what you're feeling, but I promise you that I will listen to whatever you have to say. And we can work it out, it is much easier to do it together and then maybe we won't get ourselves into this mess again." Tim smiled and bent down in hopes of Lucas seeing his open attitude.

"I wasn't upset… " Lucas paused trying to find the right words "I wasn't upset about that thing" the boy stopped seeing if his father could miraculously jump to the correct conclusion so he didn't have to continue.

Tim could tell Lucas was very uncomfortable and so tried to figure out exactly what the issue was and help his child put the feelings into words. "You didn't like … how hard I was on you?" Tim ventured trying to think like a 13 year old and trying not to let his own beliefs to cloud his suggestions.

"Not exactly" Lucas replied throwing himself onto his pillow. He felt both embarrassed and stupid but his Dad was apologizing for the wrong thing as far as he was concerned. His father was obviously disturbed by that situation and needed to unburden his conscience but it wasn't the thing that had bothered Luc the most. The not being able to explain himself wasn't what had made him feel the most uncomfortable.

Tim was trying very hard to think through what had happened the night before to determine what exactly what was the problem. He was looking for everything to be resolved and had thought that his apology would be the answer. Yet he had misinterpreted the situation, which was making him feel detached one again. Waiting for Luc to elaborate Tim was able to get back to a place of comfort. He surmised that he had felt wrong in how he had dealt with his son, and so his apology was necessary as he needed to feel like there wasn't anything hanging between them.

Lucas wasn't offering any more and Tim was feeling pressure to get their day started. He wanted to afford his child all the time in the world but he was coming to the conclusion that Lucas would wait there all day hoping Tim would be struck with the right answer. Since that was very unlikely to happen Tim pushed a little harder. "Luc please just tell me what the problem is, I can't help fix it and I don't seem to know what's wrong… I wish I did… I really do… but I need help… please just tell me… are you worried I will be angry with you?" He asked verifying that Lucas' hesitancy was borne out of embarrassment or inability to portray in words his issue rather than fear of retribution.

"No… I just feel stupid…" Luc answered. "If you feel it … it's not stupid" Tim explained, feeling badly that maybe he had brought Lucas up in an environment where emotions were not allowed, as himself had been.

Sounding so much like his mother in tone, speed and countenance Lucas finally spilled "Ididn'tlikethatihadtoleanonthedesklikeIhaf'taatsc hool'causeitmakesitfeellikeschoolandnothomeandlike I'mnotyoursandyoudon'twantmenearyou'causeyou'resom adyoudon'twantoevenbetouchingmeandyoudon'twantmean dthenithurtsomuchandIwasjustcryinandIcouldn'tholdo ntoyouand…" Luc finally stopped for a breath, tears spilling once again down his cheeks.

Tim picked Lucas up from the bed, as if he were a tiny child and held him close. Tim squished the boy with all his might, kissing his head over and over again. "You silly boy" Tim chided playfully "I always want you near me… you will always be mine… no one… or nothing will change that…" Lucas cried finally able to release the last of the pent up guilt, shame and the feeling of being unwanted. Tim held the boy close, kissing his head every now and again while smoothing his hair. Tim waited for Lucas to initiate the end of the hug, and when the boy finally shifted enough that Tim thought he wanted to move he said "Lucas I am so sorry that my decision made you feel that way. I assure you that my actions were carried out not because I wanted to be away from you but because I was trying to convey the seriousness of the situation. I will make sure in future that you understand the whole situation next time" Tim clarified.

"There isn't going to be a next time" Lucas said a playful smile jumping across his face.

"Nothing would make me happier if that were the case" Tim said finally able to walk out of the room feeling the tension and stiffness had been lifted.

XXXXXXX NCIS XXXXXXX

Tim entered the kitchen to find Sam eating breakfast at the table and Abby combing the fridge for her morning caf-pow. Tim approached his wife from behind and taking her around the waist turned her so that he could hug her properly.

"To what do I owe such a wonderful morning greeting" Abby inquired her eyes dancing.

"I have just emotionally lived a full day and a half and it is only 7:30 am" he explained.

"Ah, I take it you got everything cleared up with Lucas then" she asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes, thank goodness"

"Well what…" she began but stopped seeing Sam staring at the pair of them with great interest.

"I'll tell you on the way to work. We can all drive together since the boys will be late if they have to walk now" Tim ventured.

The mundane routine of the morning helped to smooth over any remaining rough edges of the night before and both boys waved goodbye as the car pulled away from the curb.


End file.
